Wood-wind instrument



Feb. 13, 1923.

R. S. FORREST.

WOOD WIND INSTRUMENT.

FILED JANQBI. 1922.

Patented Feb. 13, 1923.

RALPH SOMEBVILLE FORREST. 0F DOUGLAS, ARIZONA.

WOOD-WIND INSTRUMENT.

Application filed January 31, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH SOMEBVILIE FoRREs'r, a citizen of the United States, resident of Douglas, county of Cochise, and State of Arizona, have invented a new and useful W'ood-IVind Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in wood wind instruments and has reference more particularly to the clarinet. Several makes of (-larinets are known in the trade and my invention relates to improvements in the instrument known as the Boehm clarinet. The particular object of my invention is to facilitate the use of the clarinet. In the Boehm clarinet various tones can be produced in several ways and the player is forced to decide each time, which one of the ways he wishes to use to produce the tone in view of the particular position his fingers happen to occupy at the time. Unless a player is very expert he often finds it hard to make a quick and correct decision and the availability of several ways for the production of one tone tends to confuse the player rather than to assist him. It is thus considered rather a defect in the instrument above mentioned and the object of the present invention is to ameliorate this defect to a certain extent at least.

With this object in view I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention in the accompanying drawing which diagrammatically illustrates the position and construction of the various holes and keys afl'ected by my invention. \Vhile I have illustrated only the preferred form of my invention I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may he made within the scoe of the claims hereto attached without a ecting the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that the dotted line (1) indicates the outlines of the clarinet which may be considered as having been cut by a central horizontal plane and spread into a flat plate. The body portion of the clarinet consists of two sections 2 and 3, oined at 4, the upper one being only partly shown. The clarinet, as is well known, consists of a hollow tube provided with a number of holes adapted to be manipulated either by the fingers directly or by pads actuated by the player-by means of keys. To simplify the illustration only those holes and keys will be described which Serial No. 533,037.

have a direct bearing on the present invention.

The upper section 2 of the clarinet is manipulated by the left hand and the lower section by the right hand in such a manner that normally the thumb of the left hand engages the hole (10) (underneath the tube), the first finger the hole (11), the second finger the hole (12), the third finger the hole (13), while the little finger handles the key (14) actuating the pad (16) and the keys (1'?) and (18), the former being pivot-ally supported at (19) and actuating with its far end (21) the transverse lever (22) pivoted at (23) so as to manipulate the pad (24) normally closing a hole (26), While the latter (18) is attached, bymeans of the elbow (27), to the longitudinal rod 28 and, on being pressed downwardly, brings the pad (29) in contact with the hole (31). The rod (28) at the same time, by means of a spring (32) secured to a crank in the rod, bears down on the pad (34), the loose end of the spring making a sliding contact with the latter pad, so that the latter may be raised by the use of another key, against the resistance of the key.

The pad (36), disposed between the two holes (11) and (12), is handled by means of an elbow (37) secured on a longitudinal shaft (38) actuated by an arm (39) having a fork (41) at its end adapted to be engaged by the middle part of the second fingerof the left hand.

The lower section (3) of the clarinet which is manipulated principally by the right hand, is provided with the three holes (42) (43) and (44), handled by the first, second and third fingers respectively of the right hand. The pad (46) supported on the longitudinal rod (47), is manipulated by means of an elbow (48) acting on the far end of an arm (49) of the rod (47) the elbow being secured to a short longitudinal rod (51) manipulated by an arm (52) ending in a fork (53).

The little finger of the right hand controls four keys, (54), (56), (57) and A pressure on the key (54) produces the same effect as a pressure on the key (17), that is, it lifts the pad (24) from its hole. A pressure on the key (56) lifts. through the longitudinal rod (61) and the two arms (62) and (63), the pad (34) previously mentioned from its hole, over the resistance of the spring (32) if the key (18) is pressed down simultaneously; The key (57) is connected, through the arm (64) with the longitudinal rod (66), the extreme end of which carires an arm (67) supporting the pad (68) acting on'a hole The rod (66) has also an elbow (71) secured to the same. the free end of which actuates one arm (72) of a lever (73) pivotally supported in transverse direction and thereby brings the pad (74) in contact with its hole (76). The same result may be obtained by means of the key (18) secured on the rod- (28), which latter is provided with a lever arm (77), the slanting end of which extends underneath the arm (78) of the lever. (73) and lifts the same, thereby forcing the pad (74) into contact with the hole (76). i l pressure on key manip ulates, through the arm (79). the key (57) and with it the pad (74) and also, through the lever (81) the arm (82) secured on the rod (28), whereby the latter arm is lifted and presses on the pads (34) and (29). p

In operation, the various tones are pro duced as follows, dealingwith the lower re ister:

it: close hole (10) with the thumb and hole (11) with the first finger of the left hand.

Eb: press on the forked key (41) with the middle part of the second finger of the left hand whereby the pad (36) is seated.

Dt cover hole (12) with the second finger Db: cover hole (13) withthird finger and press on key (14) with the little finger whereby the pad (16) is lifted from its hole. 7

Ct cover hole (13) with the third finger.

B115: press on the forked key (52) with the middle part of the second finger of the right hand, whereby the pad (46) is forced against the hole underneath the same.

Bb: cover hole (42) with the first finger of the right hand.

At: cover hole (43) with the second finger of the right hand. a

Ab: I. close hole (44) with the third finger of the right hand and press on key (54) with the little finger of the right hand whereby the pad (24) is lifted.

ILclose hole (44) with the third finger of the right hand and press on key (17) with the little finger of the left hand, whereby the pad (24) is lifted.

(it: close hole with the third finger of the right hand.

Gt: I. presson key (56) with the little finger of the right hand, thereby raising pad (84) and simultaneously press on the key (18) with the little finger of the left hand, thereby closing the hole (81) ,through rod (28-), and the hole (76) through the arm (77 and the lever (73).

II. press on key (57) with the little finger of the right hand, thereby closing hole- (69), actuating simultaneously, through the arm (71), the pad (76).

press on key (18) alone, thereby closing pads (29), (34) and (76).

E1 I. press on keys (18) and (57) with the little fingers; key (18) closing pads (34), (29)'and (74) and key (57) closing pad (68).

II. press on (58), which actuates the key 54). I claim 1. In a clarinet, means. for manipulating the pad producing the note Eb with the middle part of the second finger of the left hand, comprising a longitudinal rod having an elbow rigidly secured thereto adapted to actuate the pad and an arm extending therefrom with a forked support at its end for receiving the said finger.

2. In a clarinet, means for manipulating RALPH soMERvILLE FORREST.

(57) and closes all the padded holes below 

